Addison Search

Not sure why there is even a star to enter! I should have read all these reviews first. Anything good anyone said was certainly staged. They get you in there for made up jobs. You waste your time jumping through their hoops when you could be out looking for real jobs! Then the next thing you hear is the job is on hold. So you try and call locally and downtown. You send emails You try to keep communications. No call backs or anything. I have been in business for 30 years and have hired through agencies. Never seen anything like this place! Will now contact the BBB so people don’t make the same mistake all of us did on this site voicing their disgust!!!

While I don’t think they are a ‘bad’ agency, I can at least say Kate was very helpful. I was on an assignment for about 6 months through AG, was expected for a few months, at a company located downtown. I asked for reviews after 90 days, and the company I was working at, lacked communication. Needless to say, they had me hanging after my 90 days. Until suddenly I got a phone call after work saying I was not allowed back on the company property because my ‘contract supposedly ended’. Never got a followback from AG. I’d like to give AG another chance, but I am leery after my last experience.

I’ve worked with several agencies and this was by far the worst experience.
The agency called me stating they had an opportunity available that they said I’d be a good fit for. I was called in to meet the recruiter face to face. Which is normal. It turns out there was no position. This interview turned into an interrogation trying to dig for leads. The «senior» recruiter was just trying to find leads for a management position they were trying to fill.
Afterwards, the salesman just fed me most insincere sales pitch about potential leads.
I’m pretty well connected within the finance and accounting community. In addition, I am well connected with the alumni from my college.
There is no way in hell I would refer anyone to this company.

A young female headhunter from this firm’s Schaumburg office called me recently (I won’t post this gal’s name simply as a matter of being more considerate to her than she was to me).
She wanted to meet me in person, which I found atypical. After 1+ hr of picking apart my resume and my history, she THEN tells me that she wants to call my references FIRST. She also then tells me she would like me to commit to only working with HER as a recruiter.
When I told her that I wasn’t planning on passing on other potential opportunities simply to work with HER and that I found her style to be overly aggressive, the meeting came to an abrupt end.
I’ve never heard from her since, and I’m sure she never submitted my resume to any of her hiring managers (oh well…)
When I called the Addison Group office to express my dissatisfaction with the aggressive, time-​wasting process I went through, the «manager» lady (again, won’t name names) was un-​concerned and un-​apologetic and basically made it clear that that’s how they do business.
If the A.G. wants their candidates to commit to working with only THEIR recruiters (good luck with that), they should make this known immediately vs. at the end of their spiel. Wasting people’s time is unprofessional.
If another recruiter from the A.G. calls me, I will hang up without hesitation.

No response to emailed check ins.
No offers.

One of the worst placement agencies I have ever had the displeasure to have done business with or lack there of business !
The agent/​recruiter that I had dealt with contacts me either via phone or email.
I respond in a normal business time (Via phone call back or email) — either same day or first thing the next business day. ASKING for the recruiter to contact me back AND never hear anything again till several weeks or even several months later. No acknowledgement at all.
Avoid this business.

Horribly unprofessional company. I was contacted out of the blue by one of their recruiters. As a technician who has been in the computer fixing business for 16 years I found her highly annoying when she offered a basic help desk job where the only high point was trouble shooting Microsoft Office 2010 (a rather trivial job to do) and kept stressing and asking me over and over again about Microsoft Office experience. When 2 year olds are using videogames and computers nowadays like professionals, do you really think a 24 year old in the computer business somehow doesn’t know how to use Microsoft Office!!! I raise my tone a bit to show annoyance and simply say «I’m proficient in ALL versions of Microsoft Office». Things went fine and we set up an interview.
The next day I was in the area so I rescheduled the interview for that day. I specifically told the recruiter in the email that I’d be a keynote speaker at an event from 2 – 3:30pm that was around the corner from her. This clueless person schedules the interview for EXACTLY 3:30 then calls me at 3:36 while I’m still at the event and leaves a voicemail message with an attitude saying «I thought you said you were going to be here at 3:30?!? It’s now 3:37.» I’m like wow how unprofessional especially when I said the event ended at 3:30 not I could be there at 3:30. So I show up at 3:45 after calling her back. The front desk people had an attitude towards people calling, watching them was hilarious especially when they would mouth off about their clients right in-​front of a potential client. Around 3:55 the recruiter, Alexis shows up with her boss Alison.
We go into the room. Immediately my resume is dissected and I’m reduced to nothing, but a candidate number, years of experience, and field of interest. It was totally demeaning and not personal at all. Then, the recruiter tells me that the position they originally wanted me for was «bsing them» so they tossed it aside for now. Even though I rose above and beyond at my former company to be pretty much a manager within a short period of time of 2 years, they told me straight up that they would only put me in Jr. Help Desk position roles (internships pretty much). After they fumbled through potential jobs as they clearly don’t know IT, they eventually realized it was too techy for them and brought in a guy more tech capable. This guy tries to demean me even more after offering a pointless position that has nothing to do with desktop support and more of administration.
Not only that, but he has the nerve to get angry and try to put me down when I mention my IQ by blatantly lying to his co-​workers by saying my IQ was barely above normal when if you look at the range I’m way past normal and recognized in the state as one of the smartest people living here. I try to be professional, roll my eyes while grinning and glance over at his co-​worker while he’s trying to explain this job as if it’s the hardest thing in the world to administrate Sharepoint when a 10 year old can do it. I eventually take control of the conversation after the guy loses his cool and his co-​worker kinda enamored at the things I brought up, I tell her to just email me the job descriptions and she promptly agrees to then I leave.
I emailed her back later on explaining myself and how I attained the level I was at and why I can confidently do what I do. It’s been a day and still haven’t heard anything yet. Avoid this company like the plague. They are totally unprofessional and have no idea what they’re doing. I get recruiters calling me ²⁴⁄₇ from companies that are way better. Just check out the horrible Unilocal reviews and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
This place is why people hate staffing agencies. The only reason they stay in business is because they form contracts with companies and monopolize all the jobs, forcing technicians to go through them.

I really had a wonderful experience with Addison Search. It’s one of the few agencies that I’ve worked with in my 2 ½ years of being laid off that I felt like wanted to help me find work — temporary or permanent (over that time, I registered with 12 agencies). I signed up with them early November 2010 and I was working by the end of the month at an assignment that lasted for over seven months. I was off for a month between the next assignment that became my permanent job. I really can’t sing their praises loudly enough.

I appreciate the professional reply that Martha Kelley posted. Unfortunately, it is the same spin that they will present to you when you work with them in finding a position. They talk about how hard they are working while you’re sitting at the job lining their pockets with money. Where’s Dolly to serenade us with ‘9 to 5′…Right when we need it.

I can’t say enough great things about Addison Search and Candace!
I got involved with them through a friend of mine who works with them and immediately got asked in for an interview– it’s now eight days since that first meeting with Candace and I’m starting in a new position tomorrow!
HIGHLY recommended

I had a great experience with this company. I am coming up on a year at a great full time job that I was placed at by them. I worked with the information technology group and am really happy. I had to write something since i saw so many negative reviews and did not have any issues at all.

Over the last two to three years I have worked with a number of individuals at Addison Search.
By a number of individuals, I mean I began working with one person and due to turnover and their inability to manage clients I have spoke with at least three people since then.
In my opinion, this is a highly ineffective and poorly managed organization.
Example #1 — I now have two representatives that email me a monthly newsletter, yet they do not return phone calls or emails. One of them is a manager. I have not received a return email or phone call from her in months. About a month ago, I received an email from her asking if I was interested in a position. When I responded that I had just accepted an offer for a job, she didn’t respond. No congratulatory email, nothing. Today, I received one of her robo emails containing a list of positions that I might be interested in.
Example #2 — There have been multiple times that I have called to speak with an representative that I had been working with in the past, and they were no longer with the company. Each time, I did not receive any correspondence indicating that they had left.
Example #3 — I have had two or three different hour long phone calls with individuals to discuss my experience and what I am looking for. It’s almost as if they don’t maintain any files on the candidates that they work with. I’m a busy person, I don’t have an extra hour to repeat what I told to the last person that quit Addison Search!
Example #4 — I have not received one credible lead Addison Search them since I began a relationship with them.
Addison Search may be good for some people who are looking to transition from public accounting into the private sector. However, they did not fit for my needs. In my experience, I have learned to stick with smaller executive search firms that are more attentive and value their clients, both of which Addison Search does not do.

Avoid at all costs. I’ve had 2 friends now who have had horrible (actually beyond horrible) experiences with this highly unprofessional «agency». With the economy as bad as it is, I am not sure how these clowns even stay in business. But luckily we have Unilocal to get the «real deal». You can see from the majority of other Unilocal reviews that this place is NOT to be trusted by any means.

Tried contacting again, still no response.

I personally had a wonderful experience with this agency.
I have been a temp for a little over 20 months. I had been laid off in October 2007, and then worked with other agencies. I signed up with Addison Search after more than a year of looking for a job, sometime late in 2008.
Originally I met Erika, who is not with the agency anymore. She met with me and more importantly gave me some hard feedback on how to make my resume look better, and other helpful advice on how to proceed. It seemed like she wanted to help me even if I was in a really negative mindset about the whole procedure.
It took a couple of weeks but they got me a month long temp job at a good company. I worked there for 6 or 7 weeks after the assignment was extended, and then brought back after a month gap to work temp-​to-​hire. I start there on Monday.
In that interim period Michelle Roth from Addison Search contacted me regularly, found me a few assignments in the Suburbs (I have a car), and was generally a great help.
I would recommend this agency to any out of work person looking for temp work or looking for a temp-​to-​hire thing.
Further tips… Of course you should sign up with multiple agencies always to give you the best chance of something happeningIf they call you ever and leave a message return that call asap… even if you can’t do that assignment it shows them you’re eager to work. If they don’t return a call, you can’t be like some people have said here and just write a place off… you’ve got to keep calling. You should ALWAYS be emailing and calling these places instead of sitting around waiting for a call from them. There are times when temp agencies are slower… and then it picks up a month later… so don’t mentally punish an agency for not having an assignment for you. You’ve got to keep a positive mentality and focus to make something happen.

In this economy, temping sucks. SUCKS. I have temped off and on for 20 years, between many layoffs and quitting horrific jobs. I quit my last soul-​sucking job in Nov 2007 and started looking for temp work in Jan/​Feb 2008 and it has been HELL. For 2 months I hardly worked even after signing up with five agencies. Let me be clear — I COULD have worked — if I could live off of $ 10 per hour doing receptionist work. I also turned down an Exec Admin job which would have required me to do personal errands for a CEO — get his dry cleaning, buying him lattes, etc. Uh, no thanks.
I went to Addison Search as I had once worked with one of their VPs who used to be my temp supervisor at a now defunct agency called The Choice for Staffing (RIP — they were a great temp co). At Addison, I met with Erika who has been good to work with and very nice.
For me, the problem lies not with Erika per se but with the fact their pay is not great. Nine years ago I was getting over $ 15 per hour for admin work — nine years later and the pay is the same, often lower. Erika has been great in calling me with assignments but in the 3^rd largest city in the nation, one cannot live on $ 12 per hour — unless of course you are living with mommy and daddy and dumpster diving.
No doubt about it — there are a LOT of crappy temp agencies out there. They are all clamoring for the same business in this horrendous economy, but I do not feel Addison Search is a shitty agency. I just think the dynamics of temping have changed dramatically. Temp agencies want highly talented, technologically supreme office workers who are willing to work for crap money.
Plus there are SO many people out of work that these temp companies are inundated with candidates. Nowadays you have to sign up with ten agencies to stay working — and stay persistent. It is very easy to get downcast and angry when these places are not returning your calls — been there, done that. You just have to develop a thick skin and move on.
I would recommend Addison Search — but also sign up with lots of other agencies.

This place is an absolute and complete waste of time, and it looks like my experience was not unique. I saw a fantastic entry-​level opportunity at a university advertised on Craigslist, responded to the ad, and promptly received a voice mail from Erica regarding my application. Turned out the position was through this company — which is all well and good, I incorrectly assumed.
After *five* attempts to get a hold of Erica again, I have been given the complete run-​around by this highly unprofessional enterprise. Once, my call was never turned. On the second attempt, I was told Erica was out of town for the following three days. Third attempt, someone attempted to connect me to Erica, when after being on hold for five minutes, I was told she was «actually, in a meeting. She will call you back!» A week later and two unreturned calls later — nothing.
Don’t bother with this agency.

Oh no. They are one of those staffing agencies. You know, the type who post a job on Craigslist. A job where you meet all the qualifications, tailor the resume and cover letter, send it off and wait to hear good news.
I was contacted by them. When I got to the office I had to fill out 30 minutes of paperwork and I write fast!
I’m then met with Meredith who I kid you not, slouched and tipped her chair backward all while kicking her leg up and a down and giving me this expression of dissatisfaction. She spent about five minutes going over my resume and then asked if I took the tests via email.
(This is where it gets good) I never received tests via email. She then said she could send them to my email, okay great, are they Mac compatible? No, only PC, don’t you have a PC? Hmmm, let’s think here, why would I bother asking if it was compatible if I had both platforms. I then asked if I could take the tests there in the front area (I saw someone doing that while I was there). She then asked, do you have time? Okay, let me think, I spent an hour trying to get to the office, I’m all gussied up, you’ve only spent FIVE minutes with me and I SUGGESTED I just test there, noooo I don’t have time…
She set me up on the computer and then said goodbye. Seriously, she wasn’t even going to see me after the tests were done to see my stellar results. I seriously considered just leaving and forgetting the tests.
It’s been a week and I haven’t heard anything, surpriiiiiise. Stay away.

I have to give a big «rave» to Addison Search because of the six – yes, six, agencies I’ve signed with as of 5 weeks ago, they are the only one nice enough to get in touch with me, follow up, return calls and find me a temp position!
Two snaps around the world as Damon Wayans used to say. Thank you Addison Search! If you’re interested in signing up talk to Michelle or Kelly.